10 How to Adopt a Child in Indonesia

Having the cute baby or kid is the dream for all parents. There are some ways of having a kid in family. When it is possible, adopting a child is one of them. Adopting a child is not a new thing in Indonesia. However, almost people don’t know the procedure of adopting a child. They just end up the procedure in notary public without taking some official procedures. That is why the rate of violence toward an adopted child keeps increasing.

The government of Indonesia has already arranged the right procedures of adopting a child. The aim of the procedure is to protect the child so they could get their rights from the family. When you are the parents and want to adopt the child in Indonesia, make sure to notice some principles of the procedure below:

1. The requirement for the parents

Some requirements are necessary for the parents if they want to adopt the child. The prospective parents must have these qualifications:

• Have a good of both physical and spiritual health: This is a crucial thing when you want to adopt the children. In many cases, the cause of violence toward a child is the parents’ mental disorder.
• You should at least been 30 years old and no more than 55 years old: This rule is made because the government wants to make sure that you are capable enough in working. So, you could fulfill the child’s need.
• Have the same religion with the child: In Indonesia, religion is the sensitive thing. You must have the same religion toward your prospective child. It is aimed to make the custody toward the child becomes easier.
• You must have legally married for at least 5 years: When you are single, you should reconsider to adopt a child.
• You must not have criminal records: You should have no criminal records when you want to adopt a child.
• Parents without child or with one child only: If you are the parents with two or more children you could not adopt a child.
• Have a good economical condition: You and your couple should have a good economical condition. If you don’t have enough income for your family, you could not adopt any child.
• Got a written statement from the child’s parents: You should have got a permission from the child’s parent in the written form.

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2. The requirement for the child

Those are the requirements for the prospective adoptive child:

• The child should be under 18 years old: It is not allowed for you to adopt the child up to 18 years old. It is because people up to 18 have been adult enough to take care themselves.
• A derelict: A derelict means a child who has no one who take care him or her. It would be better for you adopt a derelict since it would help to decrease the number of derelict in Indonesia. Some derelicts in Indonesia choose to be Children Labour in Indonesia.
• The child who needs a special protection: There are three kinds of children who need a special protection. First, the children who become the victim of violence. Second, the children with the special needs. The last is the orphan child.

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3. Preparing the documents

 Before submitting some documents to the Social Government, you should prepare the copy of some important documents:

• Your ID card and your couple’s
• Family registers
• Marriage certificate
• The prospective child’s birth certificate
• Statement of Police Report
• Salary slip or Bussiness Sertification
• The permission letter from the child’s parents

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4. Submit the proposal letter of adopting child to the local court

Before adopting child, you should send a proposal letter with attaching all the required documents to the local social government. There have been two foundations for the service of adoption process in Indonesia. The first is ‘Sayap Ibu’ foundation in Jakarta. Another one is ‘Matahari Terbit’ foundation in Surabaya. You could directly send your documents in those foundations for a quick service.

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5. Eligibility test for the adoptive parent

After the social government accepting your documents, the staff of social government will visit your house to do an eligibility test for you as the adoptive parents. The test is aimed to ensure the originality of the documents. The government staff will do some research whether you are capable enough to be the prospective parents of the child.

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6. Temporary parenting stage

If you have passed the eligibility test for the adoptive parents, you would get the permission letter for temporary parenting. Next, you could start to rear the child for 6 months with the supervision of Social Government. During 6 months, the government will control the development of the children.

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7. Get the recommendation letter from Social Government

After six months of temporary parenting, the adoptive parents will be marked as eligible to be the child’s parents. The Province Social Government would print out the recommendation letter toward the Department of Social Ministry in Indonesia. Next, it would be accepted by The Director of Children Social Service. The recommendation letter is the result of the agreement among many department of Social Ministry.

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8. The consideration of Social Ministry Indonesia

After receiving a recommendation letter, the Consideration Licensing of Child Adoption which usually called PIPA (Pertimbangan Perizinan Pengangkatan Anak) will mark your eligibility as the adoptive parents. If PIPA agree with the adoption, the Social Ministry would give you the approval of adoption letter. However, if it is rejected, the child would be reared by the official nannies institution.

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9. The stage of the court decision

If you have had a social minister’s decree, you could propose the Application for the decision of adopting child by the District Court. If you have got the court decision letter, you should send to copy of it toward the Social ministry. After these long processes, you officially become adoptive parents from the child. Finally, you could get the legal document of your adoption.

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10. Be patient in waiting the process of adopting a child

The process of the consideration from the government from adopting a child in Indonesia would need at least 2 years. This is really exhausting and long process. However, you should be patient to wait the process.

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In conclusion, the process of 10 How to Adopt the Child in Indonesia needs really long process. In the end, you could finally get the official license off your adoption. However, whether it is your biological child or adoptive child, they are gifts from the God that you have to love them